Episode 1213 - 9 Chefs Compete
The thirteenth episode of Season 12 of Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox, on June 5, 2014. On that episode, the teams put their menus to the test, a shocking elimination took place, and the second team switch occurred. Intro While going back to the dorms, Kashia was relieved to still be around as she was certain she was going home that night, and Scott hugged her in comfort. While Kashia was still shaken that she survived, Joy reminded her that Ramsay saw the progress she made so far, and Kashia apologized to Melanie for attacking her earlier that night, which the latter accepted as she was not like that in real life. Kashia knew the red team had to unite as a team as she needed redemption, and Melanie said they each had to perform at 150% from now on, before admitting how happy she was to see the drama go away. Then, Kashia hugged Joy and Anton. Later that night, Anton and Melanie sat in the living room, discussing how nobody was safe in the competition, but the former was confident on how well he performed so far. When Melanie asked Anton who his biggest threat was, he had no answer, while she said he was based on confidence and experience. Anton was not surprised by that, but he was not worried about Melanie as the latter wanted them in the final two. Menu creation The next day, Sous Chef James entered the dorms with two delivery people and gathered both teams to the living room, although Jason got annoyed when Gabriel made a stupid comment. After, the delivery people began to rap out a message from Ramsay, revealing that the packages they had were two blank menus, and that they had one hour to create their own menu for that night’s service. After the rap, Joy said that rap would not have won a freestyle battle. After, Sous Chef James sent the red team down to the patio to work on their menu ideas, and Scott and Melanie agreed to write down four appetizers and four entrées. Scott suggested putting risotto on the menu, which everybody agreed with, but Anton’s shrimp and bisc risotto was not well liked by Melanie who suggested split pea risotto instead. Scott suggested a butternut risotto, and when Joy asked what kind of garnish would suit that well, Anton suggested spinach which everybody, but Melanie, liked. Then, Melanie liked Joy’s suggestion of cranberries, but Anton did not, saying that nutmeg would work better. Up in the dorms, the blue team agreed on wild mushroom risotto and crab cakes as Richard knew they were items Ramsay liked, but Rochelle was quiet throughout the process. Back downstairs, Melanie suggested clams and mussels with butter bean did not sit well with Anton as they already had butternut squash risotto, and Kashia’s tuna slider was vetoed by Scott as they already had a fish appetizer, before suggesting beef carpaccio. Then, Melanie suggested ahi tuna sliders, but while Joy agreed, Kashia was pissed as it was her idea. Anton expressed concern about doing the menu close to what Ramsay was already having them do, and felt it was more Melanie’s menu than the red team’s menu, even threatening to throw her under the bus If they lost. However, Melanie did not see how the menu was like Ramsay’s. Back at the dorms, Rochelle still did not give any input until Richard and Gabriel asked her opinion, but she struggled with ideas due to her catering background as it did not give her confidence in her performance. While Gabriel urged her to speak up, Rochelle did not care if it was either ribeye or New York striploin for the beef entrée, frustrating the men. Meanwhile, Kashia suggested the New York striploin and blue cheese crab butter she made during the Signature Dish Challenge, and Joy agreed as Ramsay really liked that dish, while Kashia expressed confidence that her dish would be a best seller. Then, Anton’s scallops with a goat cheese pesto topping was accepted, making him happy that his item was finally on the menu, but Joy’s fried chicken dish was not well received as Scott recalled how poorly both teams did on fried chicken during the 160th Sorority Anniversary dinner service. While the rest of the team agreed to keep it the menu safe, Joy told them not to be scared over chicken, although Scott did not understand why somebody would be adamant for fried chicken after it tanked. However, Joy told Scott she can fry chicken, and the red team reluctantly put it on the menu. Before service With both team’s menus finalized, they headed down to the kitchen to begin prep their stations and prepare sample dishes for Ramsay. Anton taught Melanie how to cook the scallop dish as he knew anybody’s day in Hell’s Kitchen could be their last, while Kashia showed him how to make the tuna sliders. However, there was still some controversy over whose idea of that dish was as Kashia felt left out on the ideas, but Joy told her to drop the dramatics. In the blue kitchen, Gabriel discovered that Rochelle was burning the crab cakes for the demo. Eventually, Ramsay came down to look at the dishes, and Melanie hoped they were well received as she contributed a lot to the menu. When Ramsay asked about the two raw dishes, and if they were to give the red team an easy night, Scott said it was for delivery and flavor. Then, Ramsay felt that Anton’s scallop dish had too much garlic in the basil, which the latter took as if his girlfriend ate that, she would stink a little, but for the fried chicken, Ramsay said it tasted delicious despite an ugly presentation, and Joy said she can take the bone off for a better presentation even though she felt he was saying some random adjectives. Then, Ramsay warned the red team not to make it a repeat of the 160th Sorority Anniversary dinner service, but while Scott knew that already, Joy promised that she can do it. For the blue team, Ramsay found the wild mushroom risotto to be phenomenal, and Jason said that you would have to be stupid in the mouth to not like mushrooms. Then, Ramsay praised Gabriel’s short ribs for tasting delicious, but was not impressed about the burnt bottom on the crab cake. Rochelle took the blame for that, but when Ramsay asked her for her glasses, she laughed even though Ramsay berated her for that. Rochelle argued that she did not want to waste another portion just for the demo, but Ramsay chewed her out for sending him a burnt potion as Richard called it a stupid ass mistake. After, Ramsay ended his critics by pointing out a couple of danger spots for the blue team, and Rochelle felt she was having a bad morning. As the blue team continued to prep, Rochelle’s frantic mood aggravated Jason as this was a simple menu and he told her to calm down, but she left the kitchen in frustration, even muttering how much she wanted to go home. Jason hoped that Rochelle did not quit, and as the chefs wet for lunch, Rochelle was crying in the dorms from the pressure of Hell’s Kitchen. Kashia comforted her, admitting that she was having the same problems she had, but Rochelle was trying hard to bounce back in the competition, and prove to Ramsay that she was his next head chef. One hour left until service, both teams were nearing the end of prep as Anton felt it should be easy as it was their own dishes, which Joy agreed with. After, Ramsay had both teams lined up, reminded them that it was their menu that night, and that there was no room for excuses. Then, Ramsay asked Jean-Philippe to open Hell’s Kitchen. Dinner service For the red team’s menu, it featured butternut squash risotto, pan seared New York striploin, seared scallops, and buttermilk fried chicken. For the blue team’s menu, it featured wild mushroom risotto, jumbo crab cake, lobster surf and turf, and New York striploin. Max Ehrich and Craig Strong from Studio, who appeared earlier during the women’s reward, were in attendance that night. While the red team received their first order, it was for one carpaccio, while the blue team had three risottos on order. Jason hoped that Rochelle went pasted her anxiety attack from earlier, while tickets continued to fly into the kitchen, most of them going to the blue team. As Rochelle kept track of risotto orders, she got her first attempt accepted, making Jason happy for her strong start. In the red kitchen, the red team were dismayed that most of the tickets were going to the blue team as Kashia thought their menu was strong. Fortunately, they finally received an order, and Ramsay told them not to make any mistakes on an otherwise unpopular menu. Anton sent up a risotto worth three servings instead of two, but it was delicious despite that mistake, which he believed that Ramsay respected him. In the blue kitchen, Ramsay pushed Richard for a crab cake, but the latter refused to send out cold food, walking it up and being in Ramsay’s way. Then, the crab cake was revealed to cold as Richard felt he was better than that, but Ramsay got more annoyed when he started a refire in a dirty pan, reminding him that he was the most experience chef on the blue team. In the red kitchen, the red team began working on entrées as Anton’s scallop dish seemed the most popular, and while Melanie felt they looked gangster, Anton hoped they were cooking right. When Melanie sent the dishes up, Ramsay saw how gloopy they were at the bottom, but when the latter revealed that was what Anton told her to do, Ramsay showed him and Melanie how soggy they were. Anton felt that Melanie was trying to make him look bad, while Ramsay told her not to cook them like a diaper, even saying that it was not the same dish he saw two hours ago. In the blue kitchen, Richard’s refire was accepted, and the blue team began working on entrées. However, Jason felt that Gabriel did not work well under pressure as Ramsay told the latter to speed up and added on that he was not used to working with idiots. Then, Gabriel walked up an undercooked steak, but Ramsay was angrier that the former had it resting despite the temperature not being correct. One hour into dinner service, Melanie’s refire was accepted, but unknown to her, it was served to Craig Strong from Studio during the women’s reward, and he found it to be raw. When Jean-Philippe sent it back to the red kitchen, Melanie sarcastically thanked herself for serving raw scallops to Strong and confirmed to Ramsay that the latter did not serve her raw scallops during the reward. In addition, Melanie found out that she had no more scallops as they did not prep enough, and Anton found it to be an interesting situation as the former deemed him her biggest competition and thought about letting her sink for his own game. However, Anton went to the blue kitchen for more scallops and Rochelle gave him their supply. Getting herself refocused, Melanie’s third attempt was accepted, and Strong liked it. In the blue kitchen, Gabriel’s second attempt was cooked perfectly to his relief, but on their next order, they were waiting on Richard’s garnishes for the surf and turf which caught on fire. An annoyed Jason felt that Gabriel and Richard were making too many mistakes by now, feeling that he and Rochelle were the blue team, and Ramsay pulled Richard aside to remind him abut the garnishes. However, Gabriel sent up stone cold filet, which Jason felt was nearly refrigerator temperature, and as the former had no excuses for his mistakes, Richard asked how Ramsay was pushing him for the garnish when the filet came out raw. While Ramsay felt Gabriel was finished, the latter said he was not. In the red kitchen, Kashia’s began cooking her signature dish, but was more determined to bounce back after the previous service. Fortunately, Kashia’s steaks were accepted, and the diners enjoyed it. In the blue kitchen, Gabriel’s refire was accepted, but on their next order, Richard could not find the Brussel sprouts. Gabriel got annoyed over waiting on Richard, and then, the latter served only one Brussel sprout to Jason’s annoyance as Ramsay ordered Rochelle to help Richard out. However, Richard said he did not want any help. Two hours into dinner service, the red team’s next order contained Joy’s fried chicken, and Scott knew she had to own up to it and make it perfect as it was do or die. However, Scott’s constant questions irked Joy, and she sent up her chicken. Ramsay told Joy that it was perfectly cooked, and Scott was relieved about that as customers liked the dish. In the blue kitchen, Rochelle leadership on garnishes got the blue team refocused, and both teams completed service. Post-mortem When both teams were lined up, Ramsay said it was not a bad service as the blue team started off strong, while the red team had a strong finish after a slow start. However, the red team were named the winners as the blue team had their air let out throughout the night and were deflated compared to the red team, the latter of which fought back. Ramsay asked the blue team to name two people for elimination, and for the red team, Ramsay asked them to decide which one of the three women was joining the blue team for an even four each. During deliberation, Anton sarcastically wished the three women on who was joining the blue team, while Kashia refused to go into the blue team. While Melanie feared it would be a disaster going into the blue team and not solving anything, Joy felt that it was a penis swinging competition in the blue kitchen. Anton told the women about Jason’s anger, and at the end, they still struggled on a person to switch. Meanwhile, Jason said Richard and Gabriel were the obvious nominees, but when the latter asked why, Jason and Rochelle reminded him about their mistakes that night. When Rochelle left to lie down, Gabriel refused to go up again, and felt Rochelle should go up instead. Richard agreed with that based on her emotional breakdown earlier, but Jason knew Rochelle kicked ass that night. Elimination Richard announced himself as the blue team’s first nominee, and Gabriel as the second. When Ramsay called the two down, he said that they should both go home based on that night’s performance, and that he expected more from Richard. During their pleas, Richard said he came to work for Ramsay and would do anything to perform a perfect service, before commenting how his passion never wavered. Then, Ramsay felt that Gabriel disappeared for his mistake, but the latter said he never quit and bounced back, before asking for another chance. In the end, Richard was eliminated for his poor performance on garnish and failing to live up to his experience. During his exit interview, Richard said that at forty eight years old, he was supposed to be there as he kept up with chefs that were half his age, but refused to pout and cry as he would do his run all over again at forty nine years old. Team switch After Richard left, Ramsay told Gabriel to wake up before sending him back in line and asked the red team which woman was joining the blue team. Melanie said she was and joined her new team, while Ramsay warned them that there were no more excuses to make, and no where to hide. While being dismissed, Jason felt that the wrong man went home as Gabriel was a little bitch, while the latter said he was not a quitter and that he would fight until he died. Then, Melanie told her new teammates that she was coming with a vengeance. Ramsay's comment: "Richard had more experience than anyone here. But it's not experience I'm looking for, it's talent." Trivia *This is currently the final time the menu service was used. Category:Episodes Category:Season 12